The Old Wives’ Tale · Chapter
II: The Tooth explained
Sophia and Constance serve tea to Mr.
What happens
Sophia and Constance serve tea to Mr. Povey and Mr. Critchlow. Mr. Povey, still recovering from laudanum, accidentally swallows a loose tooth while eating mussels, unaware that Sophia had secretly extracted it earlier. Sophia's suppressed laughter leads to a hysterical outburst, highlighting the tension between youthful mischief and domestic propriety.
Themes in this chapter
Provincial Life vs. Worldly Experience
The tea-table scene contrasts the girls' sheltered domestic routine with Mr. Povey's rare absence from the house, highlighting the narrowness of their world.
Female Identity and Independence
Sophia's secret extraction and subsequent hysterics reveal a rebellious streak against the constraints of feminine propriety and domestic responsibility.
Fate and the Irreversibility of Choices
Mr. Povey's swallowed tooth—actually already removed by Sophia—symbolizes irreversible actions and the unintended consequences of small decisions.
Characters to notice
- Sophia Baines
Carries tea tray, secretly extracted Mr. Povey's tooth, and later flees the room in hysterical laughter.
- Constance Baines
Helps serve tea, scolds Sophia for the tooth extraction, and tries to maintain composure during the awkward tea.
- Samuel Povey
Recovering from laudanum, wears an antimacassar, and mistakenly believes he swallowed his loose tooth.
- Mr. Critchlow
Takes charge of Mr. Baines's care on Thursday afternoons, accepts tea tray from Sophia, and is known for his peculiar habits.
- Mrs. Baines
Mentioned as having left Mr. Povey to sleep and later resuming control of the household.
Key passages
““My God!” he muttered, moved by a startling discovery to this impious and disgraceful oath (he, the pattern and exemplar—and in the presence of innocent girlhood too!). “I’ve swallowed it!””
Mr. Povey, shocked, exclaims that he has swallowed his loose tooth, an oath that surprises Constance and Sophia given his usual propriety.
Highlights Mr. Povey's distress and the girls' suppressed amusement, underscoring the chapter's comic tension.
“Sophia had her teacup close to her red face. At these words of Mr. Povey her cheeks seemed to fill out like plump apples. She dashed the cup into its saucer, spilling tea recklessly, and then ran from the room with stifled snorts.”
Sophia, unable to contain her laughter, spills her tea and flees the room, overwhelmed by the irony of Mr. Povey's mistaken belief.
Illustrates Sophia's youthful impulsiveness and the contrast between her inner glee and the required decorum.